


Between The Lines

by thedrunkenwerewolf



Series: Heirverse: Phase X [4]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Best Friends, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Outside Perspectives, Relationship Study, Unhappy Ending, i wrote this last year and forgot about it ooops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25090297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedrunkenwerewolf/pseuds/thedrunkenwerewolf
Summary: the 4 times Rangiku read Aizen better than Gin. And the one time she was dead wrong. aka: Rangiku's perspective on the AiGin relationship as per heirverse canon. Prompt request for timewaster123456789.
Relationships: Aizen Sousuke/Ichimaru Gin
Series: Heirverse: Phase X [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1304063
Kudos: 5





	Between The Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Wordcount: 2242
> 
> A/n: Prompt request for timewaster123456789. Also doubling as her belated birthday fic. A lots been going on at my end, so im so behind on everything in life right now but I hope this suffices. Heirverse canon I guess because I wrote this... last year... when I failed to contain specimen F... (whoops). I've not put this in LWAT because idk what im doing with that yet and this is good on its own.
> 
> Some notes: possible unreliable narrator, flower language, fluff with a wham angst ending.
> 
> Anyway enjoy. And again, as with everything, reviews mean more stories for this fandom and this ship. I will seriously even take "cool story bro, needs more unicorns".

_"The deepest truths are best read between the lines"_

_\- Amos Bronson Alcott._

**Between The Lines**

Rangiku knew she was good at reading people. Sometimes she was even better than Gin at it. She could read between the lines and see what people _weren't_ doing. What they _weren't_ saying. And she made her judgements about people based on those things. She wasn't always right, but she was right _most_ of the time, and that was good enough.

It was the first class of the new year. High level kidou, and as usual she and Gin sat together. The teacher – Hirako Shinji – was late and they were all getting restless. She leaned over to Gin and whispered, "Hey, we should sneak out and hit the tavern before they notice we're gone."

She'd thought it a brilliant idea. But Gin just shook his head.

"Don't be stupid. Remember last time we tried that?"

_That_ reminder was enough to make her wince and reconsider. "Fair point," she agreed. The lectures had been bad enough. But the floor scrubbing... she shuddered. Yeah, Gin was right. Still, at least they'd suffered together through that ordeal. And friends who suffered together stayed together.

Just then, their teacher walked into the classroom. And not their usual teacher. _Probably a substitute,_ she thought. He set his briefcase down on the desk at the front and took a quick moment to collect himself before clearing his throat and introducing himself.

"Hello, my name is Aizen Sousuke, and I'll be teaching this class today in the absence of Captain Hirako."

There was some muttering from the rest of the class, but the man hushed them and got right down to business. Rangiku was amazed. He was so calm for such a new teacher and someone so young. So put together. So very poised and elegant. And handsome, too.

A quick glance over at Gin beside her told her he thought so, too. In fact, Gin couldn't take his eyes off him.

They watched the man begin the lesson with rapt interest. Aizen-sensei asked them all a question and cast his eyes over his students, eventually locking eyes with Gin. And promptly dropping the piece of chalk he'd been using to write on the blackboard. Much to the amusement of the whole class. Especially Rangiku when she saw Gin's shy little smile as Aizen-sensei tried to recover his dignity.

"I think he likes you," she whispered to Gin, giving him a playfl little nudge. Gin blushed beet red and his behind his kidou textbook, pretending to read the spells the lesson was on.

"no he doesn't," Gin hissed. "Shut up.

"Oh," she replied, twirling a lock of her hair and smirking back at him, watching Aizen-sensei out of the corner of her eye. "I think he does."

. . .

She was right, of course. She was always right about this sort of thing. At least, that's what Haineko said. The zanpaktou paying no mind to her warnings that hubris always led to a very spectacular downfall. But that was just how Haineko was. And she was sure she wasn't the only one who had disagreements with their zanpaktou. Although there was _one_ thing both she and Haineko could agree on: how cute Gin and Azen were together. And they agreed on that most ardently.

They watched from afar. And sometimes from up close, much to Gin's embarrassment, but Aizen didn't seem to mind. In fact, he probably encouraged it, because he'd made no secret of the fact he liked it when Gin blushed all pink for him, even if he didn't say it.

And embarrassment aside, Gin... well, Gin seemed to just... come alive when they were together. Not that he wasn't alive in the first place, but just, more alive. More animated. And it only grew more obvious the more he got to know Aizen Sousuke on a personal level and not as an authority figure. But as a person. And Rangiku knew that was what ticked all of Gin's boxes. Her best friend needed that connection with a person before he found them even remotely desirable.

Which was why it was such a big deal when he _did_ start crushing really, really hard on Aizen. Sure, the man was pretty 'crushable' anyway, and attractive enough to have more than a few admirers hanging around him. Most people would throw themselves at him. But Gin wasn't 'most people', and that's exactly why she and Haineko couldn't help but get excited.

She had some reservations, of course. Who _hadn't_ heard of the notorious playboy, Aizen Sousuke, breaker of hearts. She didn't want Gin to get his heart smashed into bits... so she kept a careful watch. Scrutinised every little thing Aizen said or did around Gin. Of course she couldn't be around _all_ the time. But she was there _most_ of the time. And during that time she made her assessments.

Naturally, Gin being Gin, and having grown up Rukon with her, did have his head screwed on. He took everything Aizen said with a large pinch of salt and in _no_ way wore any rose coloured glasses – or at least she hoped not. But nonetheless, Gin was sensible enough. Though he was still her best friend. Her family. The only one she had. So she couldn't help but be protective.

After all, he'd done the same for her when Shuuhei came along. It was time to repay the favour.

But from what she saw, she found she needn't have worried. Aizen was nothing but the perfect gentleman with Gin. _Well,_ she grinned, overhearing a little lewd innuendo as she drank her coffee, _almost perfect._

And from what she could tell, Aizen genuinely seemed to enjoy his time with Gin. Enough to let his guard down, just a little bit.

Which in itself was very telling.

She'd seen him before, with all his other casual flings, and he'd been cold. Indifferent. Fake. If there was a flower to describe him, it would be candytuft. _Indifference. Coldness._ Smiling a bullshit smile like he just couldn't wait to be shot of whoever he was with.

With Gin, his smile was warm, and it seemed to light him up from within. His laughs were light, unforced, unstrained, and they came easily to him. And often. And his eyes never once left Gin's face to glance at the clock or his watch. He was a heliotrope, _devoted affection,_ always turning his head towards the sun, Gin. In fact this was usually to his detriment, because he was often embarrassingly late to whatever appointment or class he had to teach because he'd been in Gin's company.

She had to laugh. "Really, that man would be late to his own damn funeral because of you!" she told Gin, who only burned with embarrassment and promptly told her to "shut up."

But she knew it made Gin happy.

So when Gin was understandably nervous about going on his first actual real date with the man, it was easy to put Gin's fears to rest. At least in part.

"He'd be good to you," she said, smiling. Because she'd seen it with her own eyes, and she really did believe it.

. . .

The years went by, and in those years she was only proven more right. Aizen seemed to be the perfect fit for Gin. Complimenting him in a way she'd never imagined anybody would. They balanced each other out, and it warmed her heart to see it. They were such a perfect match.

And Gin was the happiest she'd seen him when they finally moved in together. They were the very picture of domestic bliss. So carefree. So in love.

Therefore it shouldn't have come as a surprise when they snuck off to the human world for some time alone together. Which in itself wasn't an unusual occurrence. But this time when they returned home, something was... different. She could feel it. See it, even. It was in the way they walked that little bit closer to each other. The way they squeezed each other's hand, smiling at each other as if sharing the world's greatest secret.

And it was a secret Rangiku wanted in on. Something happened with them while they were away, and she was determined to find out what. Plying Gin with jam-filled donuts always seemed to work, so she ran to the local bakery and off to find Gin, baked goods in hand.

"Hey, Gin! I brought some donuts!" she called, making him look up from his desk and smile at her.

"Oh, donuts! Hand em over!"

"Oi! Not ti you agree to come eat lunch with me."

"Deal," Gin shot back, already out of his chair and heading for the door, heading to their usual spot on the grass.

"So where did you go?" she asked, trying to sound casual as she took a large bite of her donut. "You vanished for a week!" she took another bite. "And Aizen's been humming happy little tunes for days ever since you got back. What happened?"

Gin had flushed just a little at that, and she knew she was onto something. "Ah... well..." he began, unsure of how to continue. "Ya see, I..."

She watched him cover his mouth with his hand in an attempt to evade the question. He'd been the same when she found out Aizen kissed him the first time. That was when she _knew_ she had to find out because it could only be good news.

"What. Happened?" she repeated. All big, bright eyes, eager grin, and barely contained excitement.

"Alright, I'll tell ya," Gn smiled, shy and sheepish. But very, very happy. "But ya gotta keep it quiet, 'kay? I don' want this goin' round th' rumour mill."

"Pinky promise," she said, heart aflutter in her chest like a moth bashing against the cage of her ribs as they locked pinkies. "Tell me."

His grin widened so much it would've given the Cheshire Cat a decent run for his money as he leaned close and whispered, "We got married."

Immediately her hands clasped her mouth to keep from squealing in her joy, though she couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Gin..."

"I'm sorry you couldn't be there. It was just... so spur of the moment, and..."

But he never got to finish that thought, because her arms were already tight around him.

"I don't care about that!" she all but cried. "I'm just... _so_ happy for you!" She was sobbing now. Tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as he returned her embrace. "I'm so happy for you both."

He held her tighter, squeezing her close. "Thanks, Ran," he said, his voice choking up now, too. "That means a lot."

. . .

Life seemed to settle down a little after that. Rangiku moved in with Shuuhei, and Gin settled quite comfortably into married life with his husband. Rangiku had to smile at that thought. _Husband._ Who'd have thought Gin would get married. That _Sousuke_ would get married. Sousuke, notorious playboy and well known commitment-phobe, actually settling down and tying the knot.

She guessed love really did change people. Even Sousuke.

She hoped they'd had the appropriate flowers.

She imagined life might've gone along quite happily, if not for that one mission.

The one in the forest.

They'd come back scarred that day. Changed. Traumatised perhaps by what transpired that day. She'd never know exactly what happened. Gin's explanations had been vague and brief. Though she expected that'd been on purpose. Clearly nobody was ready to talk about it yet. Not properly, anyway.

It didn't help that there was a new tension Aizen seemed to be carryig around with him. Especially in his shoulders. It was in the tiredness of his smile. The dark bags under his eyes. His little twitches at sudden noises you'd only notice if you cared enough to look.

Something had happened. She wasn't sure what, but she knew it was something.

She tried to ask him about it, but his replies were short and blunt, too.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Because you just seem a bit... tense lately."

"It's just work."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Nothing's wrong with you and Gin?"

"No."

"Okay. See you later, then."

"See you later."

She remembered walking away from that conversation with a distinct sense of unease coiled in her stomach.

_He's hiding something,_ she thought. _But I hope they work things out._

. . .

The next time she saw him, he was a different man entirely.

He was smiling, laughing at Gin's jokes. He seemed happy again. Like he was before. Happy, carefree, and still so very much in love with Gin – if his freedom with his kisses were anything to go by.

And she heaved the heaviest sigh of relief. Because _Oh,_ she thought, _they've worked out whatever it was they were troubled by. Maybe things **are** getting better. Maybe I can stop worrying about them now._

But in the end, it turned out she'd been wrong.

Because one day, not long after that, at 5AM, in floods of tears, Gin turned up on her doorstep with the words "He cheated on me." Breaking her heart with just that one sentence. Proving how all along, she'd been wrong.


End file.
